God's WillLet’s see if I can shed a little light on your question. It is not enough to say everything that happens is God’s will, and all we have to do is accept it passively. That is more like fatalism.

When Should I Begin Discerning?It is OK at any age to ask if God is calling you to give your life to him. You can ask yourself the question even if there is no possibility of you doing it right away, and there is no urgency to it.

One Step at a TimeI love God so much, above everything, even my family. How can I go forward when my family, my mom especially, is so determined to hold me back?

Sr. or Dr.?The idea of studying to be a doctor is not practical. Not only will it be many years for something you may not use as a nun, but you will most probably end up with significant debts to be paid off.

How Can You Be Sure?If there is no clear sign in your life against a vocation, and there is some attraction based on a good, spiritual reason, then it boils down to what you are willing to do for God, how generous you want to be, how real you want to make your love.

INRI: I’ll Never Regret ItAs I returned home, at the end of the summer, I knew if God was really calling me to become a Sister, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus would be the Order I would choose. I saw only good and dedicated women working for the Lord.

Serious RelationshipsIs it possible for me to deepen my love of God, to reach such a level in terms of my spirituality without experiencing that particular type of love on a human level?

The Discernment ProcessThe main problem is not in being able to see what God wants, but in not being willing to do it.

Hey, What’s My Vocation?In order for you to have a vocation there are certain conditions you have to fulfill. If there is anything missing that you are not able to acquire by putting in a little bit of effort, it would be a sign that you don’t have a vocation.

Me, a Nun? No Way!I understood that God had planted a certain desire in my heart when He first created me, and that the fulfillment of that desire would make me happy.

On the Right TrackI think our Lord, if he is calling you to the priesthood is purifying your heart very early on, almost as he were forcing you to go to the roots and reality of your vocation . . .

Vocation Yes, but...A good course of action for you is to continue your discernment, continue praying and opening your life to be guided by God.

The Key is Loving ChristThe way to master your heart and the drive to love in our life, is to choose whom you are going to love and put all our energies into loving that person.

Comtemplative or Active?As someone who is seriously contemplating the religous life, how does one discern if God is calling you to a contemplative order or an active order?

In Search for the Will of GodArnold Janssen was born on November 5, 1837 in Goch, a small city in lower Rhineland (Germany). The second of ten children, his parents instilled in him a deep devotion to religion.

Age and StudiesI have some interest in a vocation as at the moment I am between jobs I can see one being able to carry out some of the tasks of a priest visiting the sick, marriages, funerals, baptisms, and some administrative work associated with the parish etc.

Is Graduating High School Required?I have not graduated high school, and I don’t do well in school; do I need my high school diploma and other courses to enter the seminary? At what age I can do so?

Staying Detached while Discerning?The only strength we have is in God's grace. That means that you have to bring his grace into your life actively, depend absolutely on it, and then not be afraid since Christ is the first one to want you to be faithful.